Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review

IF 5.3 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Emerging Contaminants Pub Date : 2025-03-24 DOI:10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100504

U. Umasankar , P.C. Sabumon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Plastic pollution, especially microplastics (MPs), poses significant environmental challenges, with biodegradable plastics (BPs) often presented as sustainable alternatives. However, incomplete degradation of BPs in soil environment leads to the creation of biodegradable microplastics (BMPs), whose impacts remain inadequately understood. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 85 publications to assess the effects of BMPs on soil ecosystems, encompassing physical, chemical, and biological properties. BMPs influence soil texture, porosity, nutrient cycling, microbial diversity, and plant growth, with varying impacts depending on polymer type, concentration, and soil conditions. While BMPs can enhance soil organic matter and microbial activity at low concentrations, higher concentrations often alter nutrient availability and soil stability. Soil biota shows differential responses to BMPs, with potential implications for nutrient cycling and soil ecosystem functioning. Contradictory research findings underscore the need for long-term, field-based studies under varied environmental conditions. The insights from this review contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecological ramifications of BMPs in soil ecosystems, highlighting critical research gaps, advocating for multidisciplinary approaches to comprehensively evaluate impacts of BMPs.

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来源期刊

Emerging Contaminants Medicine-Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

CiteScore

10.00

自引率

6.70%

发文量

审稿时长

44 days

期刊介绍： Emerging Contaminants is an outlet for world-leading research addressing problems associated with environmental contamination caused by emerging contaminants and their solutions. Emerging contaminants are defined as chemicals that are not currently (or have been only recently) regulated and about which there exist concerns regarding their impact on human or ecological health. Examples of emerging contaminants include disinfection by-products, pharmaceutical and personal care products, persistent organic chemicals, and mercury etc. as well as their degradation products. We encourage papers addressing science that facilitates greater understanding of the nature, extent, and impacts of the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment; technology that exploits original principles to reduce and control their environmental presence; as well as the development, implementation and efficacy of national and international policies to protect human health and the environment from emerging contaminants.